Elevator-bucket.



ADOLPH W. BERKNER, OF CAYUGA, NORTH DAKOTA.

I ELEvAToR-BUCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907'.

Application filed March 26.1907. serial No. 364,667.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ADOLPH WV. BERKNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cayuga, in the county of Sargent and State of North Dakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Elevator-Buckets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buckets intended for use in grain elevators, and it relates more particularly to a bucket construction, Wherebythe overloading of the bucket is prevented.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction of devices of this character so as to be comparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, of substantial and durable design, and reliable and efficient in use.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an elevator bucket that is equipped with a yieldingly supported bottom that is adapted to open under the weight of an excessive amount of material and automatically closed when the weight or quantity reaches a certain predetermined amount so that the buckets of the elevator will each deliver accurate amounts.

With these objects in view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective of the bucket. Fig. 2 is a transverse section showing the bottom closed and opened by full and dotted lines respectively.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, l designates the body of the bucket that is preferably made of sheet metal and bent to form a vertical back wall 2 and sector shaped end walls 3 disposed laterally with respect to the back wall, the top edges of the end walls 3 being disposed at an oblique or acute angle with respect to the vertical, as shown in Fig. 2. Disposed between the ends 3 is a bottom plate 4 arranged downwardly inclined toward thel bottom edge of the back wall 2, and overlapping the said bottom edge so that the latter forms a stop against which the bottom edge of the bucket is a metal rectangular band 5 which, in addition to giving stability and strength to the bucket, forms a support to which the bottom plate is attached. The front portion 6 of the band 5 has secured thereto a flexible strip of leather, spring metal or other material 7 that is backed by a metal strip 8. To the bottom free edge of the flexible member 7 is riveted or otherwise suitably secured the upper edge of the bottom plate 4. By flexibly supporting the bottom plate, the latter can swing outwardly away from the back 2 so as to discharge material from the bottom of the bucket. The bottom 4 is normally held in place by an arcuate leaf spring of steel or other spring metaldesignated by 9, the upper end being riveted to the center of the front portion 6 of the encircling reinforce or band 5 with the lower end of the spring resting against the bottom extremity of the plate 4. The spring is so proportioned that it will hold the bottom of the bucket closed under the weight of a predetermined amount of grain or other material picked up by the bucket. As for example, when the bucket is filled perfectly level, the bottom will remain closed, but should the material be heaped up on the top, the weight would be sufficient to cause the bucket to swing open against the tension of the spring 9 until the weight has diminished sufficiently to permit the bottom to automatically c'lose. In this manner, each bucket will transport a predetermined amount so that the material transported by the elevator for a given length of time or numbers of turns of the endless belt or conveyer thereof, can be accurately ascertained.

The use of a hinge in the form of a flexible strip as described, is a special feature of the present invention for the reason that the strip acts as a shield for preventing grain from lodging between the top edge of the bottom plate 4 and bottom edge of the portion 6 of the band 5. If ordinary hinges were employed, the grain would enter between the said parts when the bottom swings open to permit the excess grain to empty and the grain lodged between the bottom plate and part to which it is hinged would thereby prevent the bottom plate from swinging back to closed position with the result that they bucket would leak and never carry its proper measure of gram.

From the foregoing description, taken in plate is normally held. Around the upper l connection with the accompanying drawing,

v the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired, as are within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. An elevator bucket having an automatically opening and closing bottom, a flexible -supporting strip extending continuously across the whole length of the bucket for supporting the bottom and serving as a shield, and means for yieldingly holding the bottom normally in closed position.

2. An elevator bucket provided with a bottom plate, a flexible stripvto which the said plate is attached and extending con tinuously across the whole length of the bucket and serving as a shield, and a spring arranged to normally hold the bottom in closed position.

3. An elevator bucket provided with a bottom plate, a flexible strip attached to the top of the plate for supporting the same and extending continuously across the whole length of the bucket, and a leaf spring supportedto normally hold the plate in closed position.

4. An elevator bucket comprising connected back and end plates, lan inclined bottom plate, a band encircling the bucket at the upper edge thereof, a flexible strip secured to the band on which the bottom plate is secured and extending continuously across the whole length of the bucket, and a leaf spring attached to the band at one end and bearing at opposite end'against the bottom plate to hold the latter yieldingly in closed position.

5. An elevator bucket comprising a sheet metal body bent into a back and end walls, a bottom plate disposed between the end walls and bearing against the bottom edge of the back wall, a flexible'strip securing the bottom plate on the body and extending continuously across the whole length of the bucket, and means for yieldingly holding the bottom plate in closedl position.

6. An elevator bucket comprising a sheet metal body bent into back and end walls, a bottom plate disposed between the end walls and bearing against the lower edge of the back wall, a band encircling the upper p0rtion of the body, a flexible member attached to the band and bottom plate for flexibly supporting the latter and extending continuously across the whole length of the bucket, and a leaf spring disposed parallel with the end walls and secured at one end to the band and `bearing at its opposite end against the under side of the bottom plate.

7. An elevator bucket comprising a body composed of back and end plates, a cross member arranged at the outer corners of the end walls to form a support, a flexible strip attached thereto and depending therefrom and extending continuously across the Whole length of the bucket, a bottom plate secured to the strip, and a spring fixed on the cross member and bearing on the bottom plate.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADOLIII W. BERKNER.

Witnesses:

R. B. WrTi-IINGTON, EDWIN PEDERsoN. 

